Years ago I remember people, especially in Mindanao, saying good things about him. He did clean up Davao but of course the supposed methods were questionable. But what about now? The western press is crucifying him which makes me wonder about the real story.

There's a thread on him. A few of us are fans, me almost automatically because he is vilified in the western press. Public duende had the most informed/nuanced take, which as I recall was mostly positive.

The last thread on him here was a year and a half ago, a long time in politics. I was talking to a friend in Davao last year and he was talking about how many people seem to confuse crime and corruption. He said that Duterte did significantly reduce the crime rate there but that corruption was a different story. He says Duterte basically drove common criminals elsewhere by murdering them, but meanwhile the Duterte family is as corrupt as they come.

I don't know. Hard to get an objective view of this guy, seems people either like him or hate him.

I am now in Cebu. I don't care about corruption within the government, nothing really changed about that and what really could be changed? - I am more worried about ordinary criminals in the street, who are a danger for my life. Being back in Cebu after 3 years I would say it is safer than before, however poverty is the same, no improvement of the economic situation seen yet with plenty of jobless people and low payment for the few lucky ones who still have a regular job. Still no basic health insurance for Philippine citizens, either pay cash or die early.

Duterte is the only president I know who is willing to fight against street criminals, the others before him did nothing at all.
For sure the others before him were not better if I compare them with Duterte.

The last thread on him here was a year and a half ago, a long time in politics. I was talking to a friend in Davao last year and he was talking about how many people seem to confuse crime and corruption. He said that Duterte did significantly reduce the crime rate there but that corruption was a different story. He says Duterte basically drove common criminals elsewhere by murdering them, but meanwhile the Duterte family is as corrupt as they come.

I don't know. Hard to get an objective view of this guy, seems people either like him or hate him.

The Duterte family is not corrupt actually. The only member of the Duterte family who is very likely to have profited by the family political influence (as well as his recent role as Vice-mayor) is Pres. Duterte's son Pauling. Pauling's daughter was recently caught showing off a designer bag on Instagram and this stirred a flurry of complaints. He had to step down because of this. Pauling isn't loved in Davao. Rody Duterte and his daughter Sara, current Mayor, are a very different game. Sara is the quintessential populist Leader and her honesty and integrity is absolutely out of discussion. This is why many are already projecting her to be the next President after her father.

Duterte crushes £4m worth of luxury cars in Philippines - BBC News
Published on 1 Aug 2018: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte destroyed more than 60 smuggled cars and motorbikes as part of an anti-corruption campaign.

How many threads on Duterte are there, 30? Was he ever mentioned here before 2016 when he was mayor?

Duterte crushes £4m worth of luxury cars in Philippines - BBC News
Published on 1 Aug 2018: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte destroyed more than 60 smuggled cars and motorbikes as part of an anti-corruption campaign.

How many threads on Duterte are there, 30? Was he ever mentioned here before 2016 when he was mayor?

It was a dramatic act to send a strong signal to car smugglers. There was a number of utility vehicles in the seized lot that was not destroyed, in fact it was donated to the Police and the Army in different parts of the country.

Duterte is an astute leader, he has been likened to Trump for his outspoken and direct manners but he's more of a "poor man's version" of Putin, actually.

I personally like him and I have never made it a secret, on this forum or elsewhere.

I think Public Duterte is a fine, upstanding poster. But I don't see the need to start a whole thread about him.

LOL Public Duterte If you ever went down to Davao, you would probably agree with me as to why Duterte is revered in town. The city is eminently livable, the right balance between metropolitan life and town life. I am now living in Makati to explore the business/networking opportunities here but I still have a condo unit I bough, that will be completed towards the end of the year.

C and I are seriously considering moving back to Davao once the condo is ready. Hopefully by then I will have established the kinds of connections I need and won't need to be in Manila more than a couple of times a month. Ironically my biggest client here, a large energy company, is based in Cebu and Davao, not in Manila.

I think Public Duterte is a fine, upstanding poster. But I don't see the need to start a whole thread about him.

LOL Public Duterte If you ever went down to Davao, you would probably agree with me as to why Duterte is revered in town. The city is eminently livable, the right balance between metropolitan life and town life. I am now living in Makati to explore the business/networking opportunities here but I still have a condo unit I bough, that will be completed towards the end of the year.

C and I are seriously considering moving back to Davao once the condo is ready. Hopefully by then I will have established the kinds of connections I need and won't need to be in Manila more than a couple of times a month. Ironically my biggest client here, a large energy company, is based in Cebu and Davao, not in Manila.

I know of a couple of people who live/or lived in Davao that have actually met Duterte personally and they too hold him in high regards.